Education in Italy: school stages, the maturità, university entry and driving licensing

In short

Education in Italy is organised by the Ministry of Education and Merit for schools and the Ministry of University and Research for higher education. School is compulsory for ten years, from the age of six to sixteen, though most children begin earlier with optional nursery school and most students stay until the end of upper secondary school at about nineteen. The national school-leaving exam is the Esame di Stato conclusivo del secondo ciclo, almost always called the maturità (also written maturita). Passing it gives the diploma that opens the door to university in Italy.

School stages

1. Scuola dell'infanzia: Optional nursery school for ages three to six, run by state, municipal and private bodies.
2. Scuola primaria: Five years, from about six to eleven. Pupils study Italian, mathematics, English, history, geography, science, arts, music and physical education.
3. Scuola secondaria di primo grado: Three years of lower secondary school, usually called scuola media, ending with a state exam that gives the first-cycle diploma.
4. Scuola secondaria di secondo grado: Five years of upper secondary school, from about fourteen to nineteen. Students choose among licei (such as classico, scientifico, linguistico, artistico, musicale e coreutico and scienze umane), technical institutes and vocational institutes. Regional vocational training courses of three or four years are another route, and they lead to professional qualifications.

The Esame di Stato (maturità) and grading

The maturità is taken at the end of the fifth year of upper secondary school. To sit it, a student needs to be admitted by the class council, which looks at attendance, conduct and results during the year. The exam has three parts:

• First written paper (prima prova): A paper in Italian that is the same for all students in the country. Candidates choose among tasks that include analysis of a literary text, analysis and writing of an argumentative text, and a reflective essay on a topic of current interest.
• Second written paper (seconda prova): A paper on the main subject of the student's track, for example mathematics at the liceo scientifico or Latin at the liceo classico. The subject is set nationally, and some schools add parts of their own design.
• Oral exam (colloquio): A discussion with the examining board that starts from a document, text or image, covers several subjects and includes a presentation of the student's work-related learning experience and of the civic education studied at school.

The final mark combines the school credit earned in the last three years with the results of the written papers and the oral exam. It is expressed as a single number on a scale where a pass is the lowest recognised result, and the very best candidates can receive honours. The Ministry publishes the rules each year, so always check the current notice before the exam.

Driver licensing and road safety in Italy

Driver licensing in Italy is regulated by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti - MIT) through the Department for Sustainable Mobility (Motorizzazione Civile). To obtain a standard Category B driving licence, candidates must pass a computerised theoretical examination (quiz patente B) under the Italian Highway Code (Nuovo Codice della Strada, D.Lgs. 285/1992). The examination evaluates thorough knowledge of priority-to-the-right rules, speed limits (50 km/h in built-up areas, 90 km/h on secondary extra-urban roads, 110 km/h on primary expressways, 130 km/h on motorways), roundabouts, regulatory road signs and pavement markings, safety distance formulas, aquaplaning prevention, tyre maintenance, passenger safety devices (such as mandatory anti-abandonment alarm systems for children under 4), first aid procedures, and emergency response.

University and higher education entry

A maturità diploma lets a student apply to a university course in almost any field. Most courses are open to everyone who holds the diploma, while some have a limited number of places and use a selection process, for example in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, architecture and many health professions. Selection rules change from time to time, so check the university's own announcement.

University degrees follow the European pattern. The laurea is a first degree of three years, the laurea magistrale follows it and takes two more years, and some subjects, such as law and medicine, use a single-cycle degree of five or six years. Tuition at public universities is set by each university and usually depends on the family's economic situation. Applications are made through the university, and the portal Universitaly gathers information about courses and enrolment.

Besides universities, there are other routes. The ITS Academies are higher technical institutes that offer two- or three-year courses linked to local industries. The AFAM sector covers higher education in art, music and dance, including academies of fine arts and conservatories of music.

Studying in Italy as an international student

Students who finished school outside Italy normally need a recognised secondary qualification, and many courses ask for proof of Italian or English depending on the language of teaching. Applications for international students are made through the Italian diplomatic network and the university, so use the official student portals and the university's own pages for the exact documents and dates.

Practising on GetMyMockTest

These are practice questions we wrote for study. They are not the official exams, and we do not claim they match an exam's current format. Free practice for Italy:

• Maturità (maturita-italy): mathematics, Italian literature and language, and the history of Italy and Europe, with timed mock tests and flashcards.
• Driving theory examination (patente-b-italy): Category B theory test preparation covering the Italian Highway Code (Codice della Strada) regulations, intersection priority, road signs, markings, vehicle dynamics, first aid, and emergency safety.
• Italian general knowledge (gk-it): history and politics, geography and nature, and science, arts and culture.
• IELTS, Cambridge A-Level and IB Diploma: international exams that many Italian students and international applicants also take.